As young people it was easy to find time for learning. One of our lone responsibilities was to dutifully attend school and acquire the faculties we needed to succeed in the “real world.” As adults, however, many of us find it considerably more difficult to devote time to learning new things, especially when those things are fraught with challenging questions and often-confusing dilemmas. Studying the deeper issues of the Bible could seem too daunting a task to add to one’s already busy schedule.

However, Rabbi Reuven Kimelman, Professor of Talmud, Midrash, and liturgy at Brandeis University has a solution: he, along with Our Learning Company LLC, has produced a comprehensive audio course that takes on some of the thornier moral issues brought up in the Bible and attempts to work through them, all while tying his discussions in with our contemporary everyday experiences. The course lightens the seemingly arduous task of exploring the moral predicaments of the Bible by approaching each topic separately. Broken down into easy-to-handle segments, the issues become easier to focus upon and see clearly, and Rabbi Kimelman attempts to point you in the direction of some possible answers (acknowledging that, of course, there are no cut-and-dried solutions to such timeless questions) by the end of each part.

In the spirit of JOI methodology, too, this course is available “where you are.” You can listen to the four CDs (which you could of course download to your iPod or MP3 Player or equivalent) that comprise the set on the train, in the car, or simply as you relax at home. There isn’t a class schedule to adhere to (or any homework!), and you can read through the study text and look over the innovative “mindmap” diagrams at your own pace. You can see for yourself what the course can offer you : listen to an audio sample discussing the Adam and Eve story by clicking here. Finally, Our Learning Company has been nice enough to offer a 10% discount to anyone who orders using this form, which contains a special promotion code indicating you read about the audio course on JOI’s website.